Whites TDI SL Or Whites TDI Beachhunter?

[Bill (S. CA)]

I have a TDI Beach Hunter and it is a good, but not great PI.  I stopped using it when I was getting my butt kicked at the beach by Equniox users and really had no interest in using a PI again until the Axiom came out.  I use my Axiom selectively at the beach and I really like it.  I think it is superior to the TDI Beach Hunter at the beach.  Plus I have used it for gold prospecting and it is quite good.  If you are looking for a multi-purpose PI and can afford an Axiom I would suggest selling the TDI Beach Hunter.  I know the Axiom isn't waterproof but unless you intend to go in the water it would work just fine.

Just my opinion, by the way, so to all of the PI fanatics, who can be a passionate bunch, don't come after me with flaming comments.

[GB_Amateur]

Always a good starting point is Steve's detector database.  Here is the entry for the TDI/BH.

Comparing with the TDI/SL, the non-changeable coil has already been mentioned.  Note the weight (5.2 lb for the BH vs. 3.5 lb for the SL).  Although most of the controls seem to be the same, I don't see the conductivity switch on the BH.  I have the TDI/SPP model (an SL missing the conductivity switch and missing the adjustable delay -- locked at its minimum value of ~10 microseconds).  According to the SL manual, putting the conductivity switch in either hi or lo makes the detector slightly less noisy than in the 'all' position, but if your brain can tell between hi and lo (pretty easy) and can deal with the more signals (think hear all just like an IB/VLF without any discrimination threshold or notching), a lack of the conductivity switch shouldn't be too big of a deal for coin and jewerly detecting, IMO.

It seems the waterproof capability is the big difference, leading to the heavier weight, non-changeable coil, and missing(?) condictivity switch.

Although in general covering a detector control box in a plastic bag risks overheating, assuiming there is no special heat transfer path on the BH then hermetically sealing the TDI/SL control box is likely no different -- apparently making that OK to do.